The Hamster and Fate
by lumae
Summary: A quick one shot with Meredith, set between 13x18 and 13x19 with throw backs to the earlier seasons. :) Weird title I know.


**The Hamster and Fate.**

A brief one shot from some where between 13x18 and 13x19

* * *

Meredith had never really understood the concept of a pet, probably because her mother had never understood the concept, Ellis would have balked at the concept of keeping another living creature, she had seemingly balked at the concept of keep Meredith alive. There was Doc of course, whom she had loved, but even she would have to admit he was more of some weird mixture between bandage and coming of age symbolism. Though what Meredith really could not get her head around was the concept of was a class pet, namely Zola's class pet, Olaf the hamster. Whoever decided it was a good idea for six and seven year olds to the turns looking after a hamster on the weekend, needed to be checked out for a brain tumour, or was just plain mad. She had three children to take care of, patients to keep alive, sisters to console and to make sure that what ever was going on between Amelia and Owen didn't implode, she did not have time for hamster named Olaf, to hurt his foot. Yet here she was, sitting in the vinyl chairs of a vets office, holding a wriggling toddler and plastic cage with a hamster in it.

"Olaf" A familiar voice called, making Meredith's stomach twist.

"Finn."She whispered, staring up at the man she used to know.

"Meredith." Finn said equally taken aback.

"Hi," Meredith said swallowing her pride and walking into the examination room.

"What happened to you other practice?"Meredith asked, confused as to why Finn was here, just around the corner from her house and not at his practice near the sound.

"Oh I am just covering for my friend Dr Halliday while his is on holiday."Finn replied.

"Now can I see the patient." Finn asked.

"His name is Olaf." Zola said placing the hamster on the table.

"Olaf really"Finn replied, half the animals born in the last few years with little kids as owners were named Olaf.

"I thought it should be Sam, but everyone wanted Olaf." Zola said, he was a hamster not snowman.

"Well what seems to be the problem with the hamster with the unfortunate name the."Finn asked.

"He hurt his leg when Ellis scared him." Zola said angrily. The little girl loves her baby sister, she just did not always love her antics.

"Well let's have a look." Finn said gently examining he creature.

"I don't think it is broken." He said after a few minutes.

"See I told you Zola." Meredith said.

"So you won't have to amputate, he is the class pet." Zola replied sounding relieved, She did not want to be the child returning the hamster minus a leg.

"No,not today anyway." Finn laughed.

"We will have to wrap it though. Now Zola do you want to go with my nurse Yazmin to go pick out a bandage and help her with it?"Finn asked

Zola nodded a little too eagly.

"Clearly she takes after her parents." Finn said, looking up at Meredith.

"If you had have amputated, she definitely would have wanted to watch."Meredith smirked.

"Are these your ownly two?" Finn asked filling the silence with what might have been small talk it the two had never dated, but since they had felt like bullets piercing the air.

"No I've also got a son, Bailey, his the middle child. He spending time with a friend today." Meredith said

"Three kids that's a lot."Finn replied, slight surprised Meredith had ended up a mother to three children.

"It can be, particularly when you end up with the class pet." Meredith admitted.

"Yeah hamsters aren't my favourite idea of class pet, I think a turtle, a python or rock are probably better, because they don't come home."Finn responded finishing off some notes.

" But you are not the first person to damage the class pet, infact I think I've seen the hamster before, think he ate a marble or something" Finn smirked looking up at Meredith.

"What speciality did you choose?" Finn asked actually curious.

"I went with general surgery, I am actually the chief of general at Grey Sloan."

"Wow,I am surprised, I thought you would have done Neuro."

"So did I at one point, but I really love general surgery."Meredith admitted.

"So how is Derek then?"Finn finally asked. As a vet he had learnt that if there is an elephant in the room you want to approach it openly and you definitely don't want to ignore it, be it a hypothetical elephant or not.

"Derek," Meredith paused, wondering what to say."Derek is dead." She admitted, for what else was there to say.

"I, I'm sorry, I didn't know."Finn replied, deeply regretting mentioning the elephant.

"It's okay, he died a couple of years ago, car crash, so at least it was quick." Meredith said, knowingly, Finn's wife had met the same fate and she remembered that all he could say to find comfort in the horror was at least it was quick.

"I guess you were right though, when he left it hurt, it hurt more than I knew something could hurt." She admitted.

"Is like a deep raw burn, that never seems to fully close." Finn added

"Something like that."Meredith agreed, unsure if that's how she would describe it.

"And Meredith I never wanted it to be that way, for him to leave you that way, I did not want to be right. It looks like I was not right for a long time." Finn seemed to apologise.

"I know." Meredith said.

"You could not have predicted it." She said, wishing that someone in the world could have predicted her life, all the horror, the pain, they could have at a least let her know that even if she could not change her future, she could have invested in shares in Kleenex and tequila.

"Are you dating anyone?" He asked question took Meredith by surprise.

"Finn, I'm holding my youngest daughter, whilst my eldest daughter is picking a band-aid for a hamster."Meredith said flustered.

"When my wife Liz died, I thought that was it, my shot at happiness was over. That was that. I would go about life as person, as a person who had just missed out on happiness, sure I had friends, my job, relatives but I would never have that love again, that different love, and then I met you," Finn paused

"Finn,"Meredith said.

"I can't it's been so many years, things have changed." Meredith said getting embarrassed.

"Look what happened between us was a life time ago, I'm happily married again, she doesn't mind me going fishing, she is a vet as well, we had a son last year. I didn't wait for you."Finn said, causing Meredith to a relax a bit.

"My point is, you were the person that made me realise that I could have love again. That it was okay to love again, to live again, to make plansand that just because I chose to do these things again, it did not mean the love I had for Liz was any less, that our memories meant any less. She died, I did not, it is not fair to Derek for you to not have a life. I did not know him that well, but I know he only ever wanted you to be happy and to be loved." Finn said.

"Meredith I hope you find that person who helps you see that again."

"What's your son's name?" Meredith asked trying to move away from the silence.

"Oh you are going to laugh at this."Finn replied.

"It's Derek, Derek Abel Dandridge." Finn said.

"My wife named him, it is a family name, her dad and dad's dad and you get the point, I wanted to call him William."

"The universe has a funny way of doing things but that's okay he is very cute." Finn mused.

"I can imagine." Meredith giggled, as Zola walked back in the room.

"Mom he is all better." Zola annouced showing Meredith the yellow bandage adorning the little hamsters leg.

"That's good to here Zo."Meredith said, before saying Goodbye to Finn.

"Mommy I want be a vet when I grow up, because the animals don't complain as much as people." Zola said as they drove home, causing Meredith to laugh.

She could not help but wonder was it just misfortune that she ended up taking the hamster with the unfortunate name to the vet, where Finn just happened to be, or was it the universe trying to tell her something, show her something, print her to lean in to the fear. Maybe that was the reason people have pets and hamsters end up in classrooms, Meredith wondered. She was so lost in thought that it was only As she pulled into the driveway she noticed Nathan Riggs getting into his car.

"Hi"Meredith said, as she told Zola to take Ellis and the Hamster inside.

"Hi." Nathan replied.

"What are you doing here?"Meredith asked confused.

"I was just, just dropping of some food, you know for Maggie and I guess you and Amelia, because Diane died and food is just about the only thing to bring comfort after such a loss."Nathan finished.

"You didn't come to see me?"Meredith asked.

"No, not really, I thought you were in surgery"Nathan replied.

"So you turn up here with food, for Maggie thinking I am not here?" Meredith asked, feeling like the universe was trying to tell her something.

"Pretty much, it was not cheap either I got good stuff." He paused, watching Meredith gaze at him.

"But hey I am not saying I am not happy to see you too."He smirked.

Meredith smiled at him, perhaps Finn was right, it was okay to live again. To love again and maybe, just maybe it was time to give it a try.

* * *

I wrote this one shot as someone wrote me a message asking that I do a Meredith and Nathan one shot. Me being me, I am like sure and then go and do a Meredith and Finn one shot with a hint of Nathan. So to the person who requested I apologise, and perhaps I will do you a one shot at another time. I liked using Finn because I like the mirror like situation he Meredith have with losing a spouse to a car crash and no one has really delved into that. I know there are some people out there who want me to continue stories I started a couple of years ago and I am not saying I won't I am just saying it might it not happen right away. At the moment I really the concept of just the odd one shot. Anyway let me know what you all think, I would love to here from you all.

Cheers,

Lumae


End file.
